PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (CBSE)

Practice Sheet
Grade: X Topic: Ch 1. Power Sharing
Subject: Social Answer Scheme Maximum Marks: 25
Science

Question 1
(a) Which two languages are generally spoken in Belgium? [1]
French and Dutch are two languages generally spoken
in Belgium.
Textbook Page No. 4

(b) What was the basic reason for the tension between the [1]
French speaking and Dutch speaking communities in
Belgium?
The minority French-speaking community was
relatively rich and powerful. This was resented by the
Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of
economic development and education much later. This
led to tensions between the Dutch –speaking and
French speaking communities during the 1950s and
1960s.
Textbook Page No. 4

(c) Which type of power does the third type of government of [1]
Belgium enjoy?
The third type of government, the community
government, is elected by people belonging to one
language community- Dutch, French and German-
speaking no matter where they live. The community
government of Belgium has the power regarding
cultural, educational and language-related issues.
Textbook Page No. 5

(d) Which major social groups constituted the largest share in [1]
population of Sri Lanka?
The Sinhalese constituted the largest share in
population of Sri Lanka.
Textbook Page No. 2

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 (e) What was the Act passed in 1956 in Sri Lanka? [1]
In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the
only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
Textbook Page No. 3

(f) Explain any one reason why power sharing is desirable. [1]
 Power sharing is desirable because it helps to
reduce the possibility of conflict between social
groups. Since social conflicts eventually lead to
political instability, power sharing ensures the
stability of the political order.
 Powers sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A
legitimate government is one where citizens
through participation, acquire a stake in the system.
Accept any one point
Textbook Page No. 6

Question 2
(a) What were the reasons for the alienation of Sri Lankan [3/2011]
Tamils? What was the effect of this on Sri Lankan Tamils?
What was the effect of this on the country?
 In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as
the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
 The governments followed preferential policies that
favoured Sinhala applicants for positions in
educational institutions, armed forces and other
government jobs.
 A new constitution declared that the state shall
protect and promote Buddhism, the religion of the
majority Sinhala community.
All these government measures gradually increased
the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Textbook Page No. 3, 4

(b) ‘Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.’ Justify this [3]
statement with three suitable points.
Power sharing is the true spirit of democracy because:
 It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between
social groups. Since social conflict often leads to
violence and political instability, power sharing is a
good way to ensure the stability of political order.
 Imposing the will of majority community over
others may look like an attractive option in the short
run, but in the long run it undermines the unity of

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 the nation.
A democratic rule involves sharing power with
those affected by its exercise, and who have to live
with its effects.
 People have a right to be consulted on how they are
to be governed. A legitimate government is one
where citizens, through participation, acquire a
stake in the system.
Textbook Page No. 6

(c) What do you know about the diverse nature of Sri Lankan [3/2011]
population?
 Like other nations in the South Asia region, Sri
Lanka has a diverse population. The major social
groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74 per cent) and
the Tamil-speakers (18 per cent).
 Among Tamils there are two subgroups. Tamil
natives of the country are called ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’
(13 per cent). The rest, whose forefathers came from
India as plantation workers during colonial period,
are called ‘Indian Tamils’.
 Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in the north and
east of the country. Most of the Sinhala speaking
people are Buddhists, while most of the Tamils are
Hindus or Muslims. There are about 7 per cent
 Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala.
Textbook Page No. 2, 3

Question 3
(a) In modern democracies power is often shared among [5/2011]
different organs of the government. Explain.
 Power is shared among different organs of
government, such as the legislature, executive and
judiciary.
 Power can be shared among governments at
different levels – a general government for the entire
country and governments at the provincial or
regional level.
 Power may also be shared among different social
groups such as the religious and linguistic groups.
 Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in
the way political parties, pressure groups and
movements control or influence those in power.
Explanation to the points to be taken from textbook
pages 8 & 9.
Textbook Page No. 8, 9

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 (b) Explain how Belgium was able to solve her ethnic problem. [5/2010]
 The Belgian leaders amended their Constitution four
times between 1970 and 1993, to work out an
arrangement agreeable to all sections of society.
 The number of Dutch and French-speaking
ministers shall be equal in the central government.
Some special laws require the support of majority of
members from each linguistic group. Thus, no
single community can make decisions unilaterally.
 Many powers of the central government have been
given to state governments of the two regions of the
country. The state governments are not subordinate
to the Central Government.
 Brussels has a separate government in which both
the communities have equal representation. The
French- speaking people accepted equal
representation in Brussels because the Dutch-
speaking community has accepted equal
representation in the Central Government.
 Apart from the Central and the State Government,
there is a third kind of government. This ‘community
government’ is elected by people belonging to one
language community – Dutch, French and German-
speaking – no matter where they live. This
government has the power regarding cultural,
educational and language-related issues.
Textbook Page No. 4, 5

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